New Zealand's government doesn't think the increased entry fee will put off travelers, but it just made the country's ongoing efforts to make a full recovery from the pandemic a bit more difficult.
For years, China has been the gift that kept on giving to global tourism, sending millions of its citizens to explore, shop and snap selfies worldwide. Now, it's telling global travelers, "Your turn!" And if visa hassles are a deal-breaker, the country knows that removing them can only sweeten the deal.
Americans and Canadians have long held winter as not a good time to travel to New Zealand. The island's tourism bureau is confident it can bust this myth.
An intense battle for transpacific passengers is underway, with Air New Zealand having to work hard to maintain its historically strong market position.
The Chinese traveler's slow return continues to impact global travel. But adventure tourism operators are optimistic they'll be parachuting into newly opened group travel countries like Australia.